656
They are usually able to balance the scientifi c
aspects of wetlands against a myriad of odds of
legal, institutional and economic constraints
and try to offer optimum measures for wetland
management. The management of wetlands has
become an increasingly important aspect in many
countries. It is mainly because government policies and wetland regulations seek to reverse
historic wetland losses in the face of continuing
draining or encroachment due to urban expansions. The simple work of identifying the boundaries of wetlands has become an important skill
for a new type of wetland technician called a
‘wetland delineator’.
Notwithstanding the above, private organisations, like Ducks Unlimited , Inc ., and The Nature
Conservancy , have protected wetlands by
purchasing thousands of hectares of wetlands
throughout North America. The wetlands are
now protected primarily for their waterfowl
value on an international scale being guided by
an agreement jointly signed by the USA and
Canada in 1986 called the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan . The International
Treaty called the Ramsar Convention also guides
the management of wetlands throughout the
globe. Further, a federally sponsored National
Wetlands Policy Forum , in the USA, had raised
public and political awareness of wetland loss.
It had recommended a policy of ‘no net loss’ of
wetlands. This recommendation had stimulated
widespread interest in wetland restoration and
construction in order to replace lost wetlands.
Thus, ‘no net loss’ has remained as the policy of
wetland protection in the USA since the late
1980s.
Later, a report of the National Research
Council (NRC) of the USA (NRC 1992 ) called
for the fulfi lment of an ambitious goal of gaining
4 million ha of wetland by the year 2010. There
had possibly be plans for this; and this could be
done through the re-conversion of crop and
pasture land. There had been a review of the
scientifi c basis of wetland delineation and classifi cation in another NRC report (NRC 1995 ).
It was done particularly because it was related
to the regulation of wetlands in the USA at
that time.
31.2 Management Action Plan
of Government of India:
National Wetland Strategies
31.2.1 Current Status of Wetland
Management
Wetlands are not under the full responsibility of
any specifi c administrative department. However,
the primary duty of management of these ecosystems lies with the Ministry of Environment and
Forests. Some wetlands are protected after the
enacting of the Wildlife Protection Act. Others
are threatened by extinction. Effective coordination between the different ministries, namely,
energy, industry, fi sheries, revenue, agriculture,
transport and water resources, is a prerequisite
for the protection of these ecosystems.
31.2.2 National Wetland Strategies:
Ongoing Government
Programmes on Wetland
Management
National wetland strategy should encompass
(i) conservation and collaborative management,
(ii) prevention of loss and promotion of restoration
and (iii) sustainable management. These include:
31.3 Protection
The primary necessity today is to protect the
existing wetlands. Of the many wetlands in India,
only around 68 wetlands are protected. But there
are thousands of other wetlands which are biologically and economically important but have no
legal status.
31.4 Planning, Managing
and Monitoring
Wetlands, which come under the Protected Area
Network, have management plans but others do
not. It is important for various stakeholders along
31 Management and Conservation of Wetlands
They are usually able to balance the scientifi c
aspects of wetlands against a myriad of odds of
legal, institutional and economic constraints
and try to offer optimum measures for wetland
management. The management of wetlands has
become an increasingly important aspect in many
countries. It is mainly because government policies and wetland regulations seek to reverse
historic wetland losses in the face of continuing
draining or encroachment due to urban expansions. The simple work of identifying the boundaries of wetlands has become an important skill
for a new type of wetland technician called a
‘wetland delineator’.
Notwithstanding the above, private organisations, like Ducks Unlimited , Inc ., and The Nature
Conservancy , have protected wetlands by
purchasing thousands of hectares of wetlands
throughout North America. The wetlands are
now protected primarily for their waterfowl
value on an international scale being guided by
an agreement jointly signed by the USA and
Canada in 1986 called the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan . The International
Treaty called the Ramsar Convention also guides
the management of wetlands throughout the
globe. Further, a federally sponsored National
Wetlands Policy Forum , in the USA, had raised
public and political awareness of wetland loss.
It had recommended a policy of ‘no net loss’ of
wetlands. This recommendation had stimulated
widespread interest in wetland restoration and
construction in order to replace lost wetlands.
Thus, ‘no net loss’ has remained as the policy of
wetland protection in the USA since the late
1980s.
Later, a report of the National Research
Council (NRC) of the USA (NRC 1992 ) called
for the fulfi lment of an ambitious goal of gaining
4 million ha of wetland by the year 2010. There
had possibly be plans for this; and this could be
done through the re-conversion of crop and
pasture land. There had been a review of the
scientifi c basis of wetland delineation and classifi cation in another NRC report (NRC 1995 ).
It was done particularly because it was related
to the regulation of wetlands in the USA at
that time.
31.2 Management Action Plan
of Government of India:
National Wetland Strategies
31.2.1 Current Status of Wetland
Management
Wetlands are not under the full responsibility of
any specifi c administrative department. However,
the primary duty of management of these ecosystems lies with the Ministry of Environment and
Forests. Some wetlands are protected after the
enacting of the Wildlife Protection Act. Others
are threatened by extinction. Effective coordination between the different ministries, namely,
energy, industry, fi sheries, revenue, agriculture,
transport and water resources, is a prerequisite
for the protection of these ecosystems.
31.2.2 National Wetland Strategies:
Ongoing Government
Programmes on Wetland
Management
National wetland strategy should encompass
(i) conservation and collaborative management,
(ii) prevention of loss and promotion of restoration
and (iii) sustainable management. These include:
31.3 Protection
The primary necessity today is to protect the
existing wetlands. Of the many wetlands in India,
only around 68 wetlands are protected. But there
are thousands of other wetlands which are biologically and economically important but have no
legal status.
31.4 Planning, Managing
and Monitoring
Wetlands, which come under the Protected Area
Network, have management plans but others do
not. It is important for various stakeholders along
31 Management and Conservation of Wetlands